


Words From My Heart

by ibelieveinturtles



Series: Have Your Cake And Eat It [12]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Gift Fic, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Soulmates, Soulmates - writing, Soultember, birthday fic, marvelous birthdays, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 04:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17574281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibelieveinturtles/pseuds/ibelieveinturtles
Summary: “I think… everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves."





	Words From My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> September 5, 2017 - WinterWidow for kathryn-claire-oconnor
> 
> I used a Soulmate September prompt for this: #5 Drawings/Writing appears on each other's skin, because why not??
> 
> Originally written for [marvelous birthdays](https://archiveofourown.org/series/700227)

Words From My Heart

 

* * *

 

There were a few moments in Natasha’s life that had turned her entire worldview upside down — when Agent Barton had chosen to offer her a life instead of a death. When aliens poured out of a hole in the sky and destroyed a good chunk of Manhattan in the process. When an enemy thought long dead had raised its head and obliterated the new life she made for herself.

And now. When her lost soulmate reappeared. A soulmate who coincidentally turned out to be Steve's long dead best friend.

The last few days had been one blow after another and she was still reeling from the shock. It was an unfamiliar sensation. She prided herself on her ability to go with the flow; roll with the punches; play the game.

She turned her gaze from the window as Steve exited the tiny ensuite attached to his private room.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“More than ready,” Steve replied. “I've got things to do and I can't do them from a hospital bed.”

“Is there anything I can say that will stop you from doing this?” She didn't really want him to say ‘yes’, but she had be sure of his commitment before she went any further with her own enquiries.

“I can't leave him out there on his own,” Steve replied in that determined voice she'd come to know so well. “I have to look.”

“Okay.” She turned from the window, crossing to stand next to him as he packed the last few things into his bag. “I'll see what I can find for you.”

“You're a good friend, Nat,” Steve said. “I appreciate it.”

They both turned to look as the door opened and Sam entered the room.

“Hey,” he said, smiling at Nat.

“Well, I'll see you boys later,” Nat said, fixing her own smile on her face. Three days ago she would have happily spent more time with Sam, but now … now she had a Soulmate to track down. “Fury's funeral is tomorrow at noon.”

She slipped out of the room and headed for the main entrance of the hospital where her eye had been caught by a display in the gift shop on her way in earlier. She made her purchase, slipping the small paper bag into her jacket pocket as she left.

 

~*~

 

Natasha sat on the edge of her hotel bed, pulled the bag out of her pocket and tipped the contents onto the comforter. She stared at it for a little while, looking for the courage that seemed to have escaped her for once. Rising from the bed, she took her jacket off, draping it over the back of the only chair in the room before sweeping the towel from where it was laid out neatly on the end of the bed and heading for the bathroom.

After showering she ordered room service, then sat and stared at the packet until her meal arrived.

She didn't look at it again until after she ate and put the tray back outside her door for collection.

Standing at the end of the bed she slowly pulled off her tank top and dropped it on the floor, followed by her shorts. She crawled up the mattress, arranged the pillows, and lay back. Picking up the brightly coloured packet, she contemplated it for several minutes, running her fingers back and forth along the caps of the markers, finally settling on a bright blue.

Now … where to write? And what?

 

~*~

 

After leaving the museum he wandered aimlessly for what seemed like hours. Still on high alert, eyes moving constantly as he watched for threats, but simultaneously lost in tumultuous and disconnected memories of the man he left lying on the edge of the river, and fractured images of red hair, redder lips, and swirling patterns drawn on his skin.

Eventually his wandering steps brought him back to the abandoned warehouse he was hiding in, and he crept into the hidden nook he'd created high up in the roof.

Settling in to the nest of old sacks and clothes he fished around in his pockets until he found the bars of chocolate he'd lifted from a corner shop earlier in the day. Eat, sleep, and then … it was time to move on.

He started to peel the wrapper off a chocolate bar and then froze as he caught sight of something on the back of his right hand. A single word was appearing, thick, blue letter by thick, blue letter.

_ H E A R T  _

What the hell?

He licked a metal finger and tried to rub it off with no success. Taking a bite of the chocolate, he chewed thoughtfully as he studied the word, tracing over it with a finger. What did that mean - heart?

He took another bite and watched as new letters began to appear, thin and green this time, crawling up his fingers.

_ l o o k a t y o u r h e a r t _

Look at your-

Shoving the remainder of the chocolate in his mouth, he pulled his shirt up and peered at his chest. There was more writing, right across his chest.

He twisted and tilted his head, trying to read it but it only took him a moment to realise he needed help.

A mirror. He needed a mirror.

He leapt out of his hidey hole, moving silently through the building until he reached the manager's office, with it's private bathroom and the only unbroken mirror in the whole place.

He grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled it off in one swift movement, leaning forward for a closer look.

_ You are James Barnes, and I am your Soulmate. Will you come to me? _

There was a crashing noise as he jerked backwards, hitting the wall behind him and knocking the towel rail loose. His right hand was clenched in a fist, pressed tightly to his chest as he struggled to breathe, overwhelmed by the rush of memories pouring into his mind.

Red hair draped across his skin.

Red lips pressed to his.

Fervent declarations of love.

Punishment and loss.

A cold calm descended over him and he stood straight. He needed to find something to write with.

His search of the office was fruitless, but it was too late at night to go back out. Stalking back into the empty warehouse he hunted for something - anything - he could use to reply to his Soulmate. After more than an hour of searching he finally discovered a stash of rusty old paint tins.

 

~*~

 

Natasha hadn't expected an immediate reply. She wasn't even sure if she'd get a reply at all, so when she woke up, still in the half reclined position she'd written her messages in, the first thing she saw was the message written across her stomach.

**You know who I am. What I've done. I am not good** _. _

The words were blotchy and scratchy at the same time, as if he were writing with something thick and sticky. Snatching up the nearest marker she began to write back, tears gathering with every new sentence.

_ It wasn't you. _

 

**My hands**

_ Not anymore _

 

**can't be trusted**

_ I think… everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves _

 

She waited for his next reply but it didn't come. She waited and waited and waited, eyelids drooping until she was drifting, half asleep but battling it. If he wrote again, she didn't want to miss it.

And then, letter by letter, another message appeared.

**Come to me?**

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you think this fic needs a sequel or continuation, feel free to request it for YOUR birthday fic [here](https://marvelousbirthdays.tumblr.com/ask) but please, read [The Rules](https://marvelousbirthdays.tumblr.com/rules) first.
> 
> I'll also be including some other fics I've written for birthdays NOT associated with marvelous birthdays.
> 
> My Tumblr, if you're interested, is [ibelieveinturtles](http://ibelieveinturtles.tumblr.com/)


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